Christian divorce rates disputed

The Barna Research Group created quite a stir with a report in 2000 that "Born Again Christians" have about the same divorce rate as the general population and that atheists and agnostics have a lower divorce rate.

But statistics can only measure what they can measure and many questions are hard to quantify.

For example, what percentage of Christians choose marriage versus living together and how does that compare to atheists? If atheists do not get married as often, how would that affect divorce rates?

And then there is the question that asks if religious people put too many expectations on marriage. "I think in many ways Christian marriage is harder," said Gary Thomas in an article quoted on adherents.com. Thomas is the author of "Sacred Marriage" and was the director of the Center for Evangelical Spirituality in Bellingham, Wash: "We're expected to forgive. We're expected to give of ourselves. Paul tells husbands that they ought to have the mind of a martyr."

Now Glenn T. Stanton, the director for family formation studies at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colo., calls the claim that Christians have the same divorce rate as the general public inaccurate.

"Based on the best data available, the divorce rate among Christians is significantly lower than the general population," Stanton wrote in the Baptist Press.

"The factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice," Stanton wrote. "Couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes — attend church nearly every week, read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously, living not as perfect disciples, but serious disciples — enjoy significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers."

Here are the statistics Stanton quotes:

— 60 percent of people who identify as Christians but rarely attend have been divorced.

— 38 percent of those who attend church regularly have been divorced.

— Active conservative Protestants who regularly attend church are 35 percent less likely to divorce compared to those who have no affiliation.

Stanton concludes: "The divorce rates of Christian believers are not identical to the general population — not even close. Being a committed, faithful believer makes a measurable difference in marriage. … Faith does matter and the leading sociologists of family and religion tell us so."

So all is nice and well?

Not really.

As Gene Veith expresses on his blog "Cranach: The Blog of Veith," just because people who practice Christianity have a lower divorce rate doesn't mean there isn't a problem: "Thirty-eight percent? That's lots better than 60 percent, but still shockingly high, especially among the more devout believers. 35 percent less likely to get a divorce? One would think it should be greater than that.At any rate, the bottom line seems to be that the more seriously couples take their faith, the less likely they are to get a divorce. That seems like a self-evident truth, but it appears there is also evidence for it."

Popular Comments

so I think we like to count those non-active Christians as Christians when it
serves our purposes. but we want to exclude them as Christians when that serves
our purposes. that's what I gleaned from this article.

5:45 p.m. Feb. 23, 2011

Top comment

John C. C.

Payson, UT

As the institution of marriage itself is under attack, it will be even harder in
the future to track divorce rates, or whatever future virtual equivalent takes
its place. I was taught by my instructor in a 197 university class in child and
family
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I am a staff writer for the Deseret News. My current beat is financial responsibility. I also occasionally write on other topics such as faith.
I graduated from Arizona State University and from J. Reuben Clark Law School more ..